Remember back in August when Joe Girardi benching Jorge Posada as the Yankees’ starting designated hitter was a big story?

Posada ended up starting just 12 of the Yankees’ final 45 games at DH (plus a couple starts at first base), but Girardi announced that he’ll turn back to Posada as the starting DH for the ALDS against the Tigers.

Girardi technically announced that Posada would be the DH versus right-handed pitchers, but the Tigers’ playoff rotation won’t feature any left-handers. All of which means Jesus Montero will begin his postseason career as a bench bat despite hitting .328 with a .996 OPS in his 18-game debut.

Posada was a mess against lefties this season, going 6-for-65 (.092) with zero homers, but he can still get the job done against righties, batting .269 with 14 homers and an .814 OPS in 316 plate appearances.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports Thursday that the Orioles “are said to have begun fielding calls of interest” on superstar Manny Machado and “are close to the point of seriously weighing whether to trade him.”

You’d think it would be a no-brainer for the last-place O’s to flip Machado — an impending free agent — for prospects, but Heyman notes there is “still a question whether or not longtime Orioles owner Peter Angelos” will give the go-ahead. One person familiar with the situation put it a “50-50” likelihood. Another suggested that it would take a massive return, which, sure.

Machado entered play Thursday with a sensational .328/.405/.635 batting line, 15 home runs, and an MLB-leading 43 RBI in 49 games. It’d be a real shock if he’s still wearing an O’s uniform by the end of July.

Heyman reported previously that at least nine teams made aggressive plays for Machado this winter, including the Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Indians, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, and Cardinals. A whole lot of those teams still make sense here in late May — maybe all of them except the White Sox.